Kundalini Splendor

From (Andrew Harvey's) new book, Radical Passion:

"I was fortunate enough to interview the Dalai Lama on the day he won the Nobel Prize in Oslo. At the end of the interview, I had the guts to ask him, eyeball to eyeball, "What is the meaning of life?" He roared with laugher, flung his head back, and then became extremely focused, as he said 'The meaning of life is to embody the Transcendent.'"

Andrew then adds:
The Divine is everywhere. It is in everything and it can only be uncovered through a long and ardulous journey at the core of every human being. It is our duty now to go through a cleansing in order to realize the truth of this divine consciousness as the fundamental essense of reality. When human beings experience that all-transforming fire, they will then be driven to embody the laws of love, compassion and justice.

Love Always,
Andrew (Harvey)

People Who Don‚t Get It
Living with It

by Madisyn Taylor (of Daily Om)

When dealing with people who seem very unaware, remember that everyone must find their own way to awakening.

You may be someone who understands the true nature of reality, perceiving deeply that we all emanate from the same source, that we are all essentially one, and that we are here on earth to love one another. To understand this is to be awakened to the true nature of the self, and it is a blessing. Nevertheless, people who just don‚t get it are seemingly everywhere and, often, in positions of power. It can be frustrating and painful to watch them behave unconsciously. We all encounter individuals of this bent in our families, at work, and in all areas of public life. It is easy to find ourselves feeling intolerant of these people, wishing we could be free of them even though we know that separation from them is an illusion.

It helps sometimes to think of us all as different parts of one psyche. Just as within our own hearts and minds we have dark places that need healing, the heart and mind of the world has its dark places. The health of the whole organism depends upon the relative health of the individuals within it. We increase harmony when we hold onto the light, not allowing it to be darkened by judgment, anger, and fear about those who behave unconsciously. It‚s easier to accomplish this if we don‚t focus on the negative qualities of individuals and instead focus on how increasing our own light will increase the light of the overall picture.

When dealing with people who seem very unconscious, it helps to remember that every one must find their own way to awakening and that the experiences they are having are an essential part of their process. Holding them in the light of our own energy may be the best way to awaken theirs. At the same time, we are inspired by their example to look within and shed light on our own unconscious places, sacrificing the urge to judge and surrendering instead to humble self-inquiry.

He Stands Above It

Whatever form you can imagine, He stands above it
Like a painter above his brush.
However much "higher" you gaze, He is higher than that "higher"!
Abandon words, abandon books ˆ let Him be your Book!

- Jalal-ud-Din Rumi
(Translated by Andrew Harvey from A Year of Rumi)

Please note the update on the previous entry, which tells you how to register for Andrew's talk on Saturday.

 http://theshiftnetwork.com/LivingChristConsciousness


Here is an announcement of an upcoming free presentation on the Shift Network by Andrew Harvey.  If you google the above address, you can register for this talk. 
The talk begins on Saturday at 10 A.M. Pacific time.

Dear Dorothy,

One of the most heartening developments in The Shift Network this year is the pioneering of a "Christ Path for the 21st century" with modern mystic and bestselling author Andrew Harvey.

Over 700 people from 26 countries took his Christ Path introductory course over the last few months and the results were truly remarkable in terms of healed relationships with Christianity, "life-changing" spiritual openings, and a marriage of spiritual practice and sacred action.

It's opened the door for potent insights into the marriage of masculine and feminine, navigating the Dark Night, transforming the shadow and more. For people who had been disenchanted with the Christ lineage, it's brought new understanding of the esoteric aspects of this path.

As a result of this reaction, this Saturday, we decided to open up a new free call with Andrew on "Living Christ Consciousness: Advanced Teachings and Practices for Embodying Sacred Love in Action" and share some of his most important advanced teachings with you for free.

Register here: http://theshiftnetwork.com/LivingChristConsciousness

My strong sense is that this exploration of the Christ Path holds one of the essential keys to healing our world. Christianity is woven into so much of Western culture that if we can heal and upgrade the foundations while celebrating the sacred core, great changes are possible. And this has also profound personal implications for our own path, especially so many of us who were raised Christian.

Our possibility is to take Jesus off the pedestal and see him as a wayshower for all of us to live Christ consciousness... for real.

Andrew is simply brilliant as a speaker: every word is as precisely chosen as poetry, spoken straight into the heart. He's one of the only speakers we feature whose words stop me in my tracks and leave me fumbling for something to say. They ring with total truth and call me into the next level of my path, as I know they do for many others.

So do join us on Saturday at 10 am (and sign up even if you can't make it live to get the recording). This is really the beginning of a whole new stage of embodying our highest spiritual potential in action.

Register here: Living Christ Consciousness

And just to be clear, this is not just for Christians but anyone with a sincere heart and open mind from any tradition (including atheists). You'll also get to hear about a 9 month program we're launching soon.


  In spirit,
Stephen
p.s. Here is a testimonial from Andrew's recent course to get a feeling for the reaction he inspires:

"The Christ Path with Andrew Harvey was a life changing experience. Every lecture was the perfect balance of grounded realism and Spiritual ecstasy. The bridging of Heaven and Earth and Divine Feminine and Masculine resonated totally and was energetically palpable through Andrew. I am so grateful for this beloved, authentic, passionate and visionary soul and the urgent message he brings at this time. His validation was critical to me at this time and I hope his message is heard by many for the sake of the planet and all beings. Bless you Andrew!"
--Amata B., La Cienega, New Mexico

 

Note:  for further information on the following, go to www.AndrewHarvey.net and look under events


Cosmic Christ and the Historical Jesus
Segment of the Christ Path Seminars
June 29-30


We’ll explore depictions of the historical Jesus and the new vision that has emerged during the last 30 years as a result of the work of The Jesus Seminar and scholars such as Fox, Harvey and Chilton.
Matthew Fox will give an overview of the Historical Jesus as a revolutionary and a radical in all aspects of his message–political, economic, religious.
Andrew Harvey will reveal the secret nature of Jesus’ teachings available in the Gospel of Thomas–and you will discover the Jesus who did not want to be adored as an avatar, but who had discovered an empowering and divinizing relationship with the Father/Mother, and sought to share it with everyone.
Matthew Fox will introduce a new, transformational practice that he has been working on — the Stations of the Cosmic Christ. This practice can transform us and inspire the artist in us to create our own Stations.
We’ll view a film presentation of Father Bede Griffiths, on the depths of mantra and meditation practice on the Christ Path
Attend online or in-person in Pittsburg, PA. For more information on the event or to register click here.




White Lions Leadership Academy


 Please join me at the winter session of the White Lions Leadership Academy in South Africa. The leadership academy was started to inspire and empower participants to embody White Lion leadership principles, and improve their own intellectual, emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as the wellbeing of our planet. The program runs July 19 through August 12. For more information, or to register click here.



Sacred Activism Book Series Launch Webinar: A Change-Makers Summit
When the joy of compassionate service is combined with the pragmatic drive to transform all existing economic, social, and political institutions, a radical divine force is born: Sacred Activism. The Sacred Activism Series, published by North Atlantic Books, presents leading voices that embody the tenets of Sacred Activism—compassion, service, and sacred consciousness—while addressing the crucial issues of our time and inspiring radical action.

To take part in this free webinar on June 25, 2013 from 11 - 12pm registere here.

New Video Series from Chris Saade and Mandy Eppley

Over the last year my dear friends Chris Saade and Mandy Eppley have been working diligently to create a LIFE-CHANGING video series called The Model of Heart-Centered GriefSM. I have personally endorsed this model because it is exactly what our world needs now.

The model is about to be launched…and YOU are among the first to hear about it! I highly encourage you to join Chris and Mandy a very special FREE CALL: "Transforming Your Grief Discovery Session" on Wednesday, June 26 at 4:30 PM Pacific/ 7:30 PM Eastern.
Click here to register for this ground-breaking FREE call.

On this call you’ll learn:
1.     The importance of not resisting your grief, but instead, affirming it!
2.     About a 7-Step process that can lead you into making a difference in the world THROUGH your grief called The Model of Heart-Centered Grief,
3.     PLUS you’ll get a chance to get your questions answered LIVE by Chris Saade & Mandy Eppley!

We are living in a time full of struggle and deconstruction…AND it is NOW that the world needs broken-hearted people to wake up to their calling in order to bring about true change in the world. Let Chris and Mandy show you how you can become EMPOWERED through your grief by joining them for this call on June 26. Register TODAY as that will be the only way to access this valuable information.

For more information, click here.


The New Chartres Academy

The New Chartres Academy is a gathering point for a contemporary wisdom community, through a modern form of the most comprehensive learning system known to civilization—the seven Liberal Arts. The Liberal Arts have their origin in ancient Egypt and were refined through the Greek and Roman philosophical schools. They were brought to their highest expression by the Chartres School during the eleventh and twelfth centuries. The Liberal Arts were designed as initiatory rites, with each Liberal Art preparing the students for the next higher level. For the masters who established the original Chartres School, the purpose of teaching the seven Liberal Arts was to cultivate the mysteries of personal and social transformation. The goal for both students and teachers was to participate in an alchemical process of transformation leading to the embodiment of the divine human.

Please join my from July 7 through 12 in Chartres, France for this transforming class.

For more information on this event, click here.



New Product Available:
An Evolutionary Vision of Relationships: The Spirituality of Romantic Love is a series of 6 passion-filled CDs in which Andrew Harvey and Chris Saade discuss the vision of evolutionary relationships that are deeply spiritual, romantic, and engaged in greater service. The two teachers and authors inspire, share from the heart, cover cutting-edge psychological and spiritual principles, offer concrete practical tools, and explore, for all of us, the dynamics of what is possible within romantic love. Always keeping this evolutionary vision in front of them throughout their dialogues, they explore contributing themes such as Passion, Authenticity, Paradox, Co-Creation, and Celebration.

Each CD is spiritually grounded and simultaneously challenges us to discover the depths of passion possible within our current and future relationships. The series culminates in a sweetly-daring and intimate conversation around Evolutionary Sexuality. This CD set is a must-have for those who desire more within their relationships and seek spiritual guidance and concrete tools.

The cost for the program is $58.00, however for a limited time only we're offering 30% off with coupon code, save30.

To purchase this program please visit our online shop.

(All images from Andrew Harvey's website)

..

Technology as Distraction
Choosing True Connections

by Madisyn Taylor

By always using our cell phones, texting and surfing the Internet, we actually become less connected and more distracted.

We are often lured by the promise of new technologies to make our lives easier and help connect us to others. While they do so in many ways, they also present each of us with opportunities to make new choices about how we spend our time and invest our energy. Most gadgets are generally meant to improve the quality of our lives, but it is when we spend too much time with them that they actually do the opposite. By always using our portable emailers, cell phones, video games, and surfing the Internet, we actually become less connected and more distracted. By becoming aware of these tendencies, we harness the power to overcome them and make better choices for ourselves and our families.

Once we decide to consciously put our gadgets to work for us, we become masters of our time. We can give our full attention to whatever we are doing and not let phone conversations and other distractions take the place of human contact. Each of us has the ability to consciously choose to be more present in our lives. We can decide at any time to leave our gadgets behind and become aware of the sights and sounds around us in order to expand our awareness and be fully present in our bodies and our surroundings.

When we use our discernment about how we invest our personal energy, we can be sure that we choose only the best for ourselves and those we love. Our gadgets can be useful tools for our journey in the material world, but we must not forget that we are spiritual beings having a human experience and that means interacting with people on a personal level. Choices that enliven us and help us feel connected to our world and our loved ones always deserve our full attention and presence of mind, body, and spirit.

Recently I came across the original manuscript of "Unmasking the Rose" and I realized that many of the entries contained therein were cut out of the final version.  Some were included, some not, but altogether they form a picture of the kind of preparation for initiation I was undergoing at that time.  Beginning in l980 (a year before awakening) I seemed to receive "lessons" from a higher source, concepts and images containing some essential information about the nature of reality.  I am going to reprint some of these texts here, not trying to separate out what is included in "Unmasking" and what got left out.  This first entry is dated March 22, l980.  In it, I describe a kind of "dream vision" of my future life, and also am grappling with the relationship between mind and feeling.  Perhaps the most important part of this entry is the final question in the dream vision.  Many who undergo Kundalini awakening also feel a deep urge to "unite with the god of this world," however they symbolize "it".  This "god" then can become the "Beloved Within," and union is possible through receptivity to Kundalini bliss.
Though it is now out of print, "Unmasking the Rose" is still available from Amazon.

I have been to a party and there--for the first and only time in my life--have sampled amyl nitrate.  (“Go ahead,” they urged.  “This is very mild.  It absolutely can’t hurt you.”)  So I, stranger to drugs of any kind, one who “gets high” on a few cups of coffee or two glasses of beer, agreed to “try it.”  Not realizing that it would, rather, “try me.”  Whether we smoked or inhaled or drank it--I scarcely recall now.  Something was passed around.  Surely we pressed a vial to our nostrils and inhaled--as if our noses were stopped up, as if we were asthmatic.
Then--I relaxed deeply, and listened to music while I watched little dots of light dance in carefully composed geometric patterns in the air.  And then I noted that I had two--or more--centers of gravity, and how strange that seemed.  And then I went home and had an inner vision:

l. The dancers are moving through a spiral labyrinth;
we go in, we go out, in the cycle of birth and death, and rebirth.
But some go in and do not return.  (Do they fall into a black hole at the center?)

2. Shakti stands before us, waving her six arms in  the dance.  Her many limbs reveal her nature as a multiple being, for the mother has many wombs.

3. Someone (a young male) hurtles across the plane of vision, a powerful karate master--or pupil; his energy is intense, potentially destructive.

4. Flowers are opening, symbols of life, which is ever rooted in sex and nature.

5. Seeds spew forth in abundance from the flowers--procreation from nature.

          6. How can we fuse with the god of this world in
transcendent union?


This “vision,” as well as the list of “lost perceptions” in the next dated entry, is a veritable “table of contents” for the early notebook entries and the events they anticipate.


Next, I consider the plane of interface between mind and matter, and find that there are four hierarchical levels:

                              l. Things which do not feel and do not know it.  (such as rocks and clods of dirt)

                              2. Things which feel and do not know it. (such as fish or perhaps other animals)

                              3. Things which do not feel and know it.  (I am not sure what this refers to)

                              4. Things which feel and know it.  (Humans,, who have the capacity for self awareness)

And it seems that the realms of mind and feeling are symbolized by two figures, a youthful (spiritual) young rabbi and the sensuous mother goddess.  An image expresses their relationship: (here an image follows, a kind of leaf with the goddess on one side (to represent intense feel) and a youthful rabbi (to represent extreme intellect).  However, as the two side of the "leaf" they are parts of a single whole.

Thus, mind and feeling are two realms which fuse and are yet separate.  The chord separating the two realms suggests that the most intense feeling type is close to--yet infinitely distant from--the purely “spiritual” (mental) being.  One type is ill at ease, alienated in the realm of the other.  Hence the enmity of spirit towards flesh.

The Goddess         and          The Youthful Rabbi

Dominant:      Matter                                   Spirit  
                      with                                      with
                     spirit                                    matter
        energizing it                            enabling in

It has now been over three months since Michael Black was struck and killed by a hit and run driver as he was walking on the side of a narrow road.  Although I saw Michael only occasionally, he occupied a very important place in my mind and heart.  Michael was a true mystic.  He had "inner adventures" far beyond what most of us ever experience. He felt that he came from "some other place," perhaps a planet, or even Atlantis or Lemuria.  He was inordinately fond of crystals and always wore the latest acquisition around his neck.  He was an energy healer and helped many with his gift, though he did not charge for his services.  He was the kindest man I ever met.  I never heard him speak ill of another person.
Michael was also a writer and a poet.  He was working on a five volume "channeled" work when he died.  He often sent me copies of his poems, and here is one of his last efforts:
  
Tree Lake’s Heart

(for Eldest)

Picture a delicate but sturdy Tree
Growing out of the center of a still
Lake that is your heart.

Now imagine that all beings you encounter want
A place to hang their hearts upon your Tree.

This particularly sacred and holy
Tree will sprout within you and blossom
Skyward upon a scaffolding of words.

Welcome this Tree of Life to your heart,
Which ties together so many spiritual traditions
With its deeply satisfying pool of energies.

Acknowledge all of Creation hovering nearby,
Gathered around to celebrate its imminent arrival
And joyfully share in its frequencies.

Those who feel ready will want a still place
On or under your sheltering canopy that
Confers peace, joy and contentment within.

Your Creation will provide a means of
Erecting Heaven on Earth, one born of
Mutual responsibility and shared sacrifice.

It is time for the hearts of all illumined walking trees
To be awash in gratitude.

Know that soul’s candles illuminating
Each tree will burn brightly and true, as through
All that preceded it is gently swept away.

Share your verdant, cool waters with one
Another as we erect scaffolding for a New Earth,
One born of Beloved’s Divine Light.

Stand firm in each of your respective trees,
And know that nothing can distract from the
Vertical flow of energies, the same

Frequencies that manifest Heaven on Earth, and
Earth in Heaven.  Drink from that delicate but sturdy
Tree growing out of the center of a still lake that is

Your Heart.  Watch as darkness is parted by your Light,
And be joyful!

Michael Black
(March, 2013)

____

The Invitation

It doesn't interest me what you do for a living
I want to know what you ache for
and if you dare to dream of meeting your heart's longing.

It doesn't interest me how old you are
I want to know if you will risk looking like a fool
for love
for your dreams
for the adventure of being alive.

It doesn't interest me what planets are squaring your moon...
I want to know if you have touched the center of your own sorrow
if you have been opened by life's betrayals
or have become shrivelled and closed
from fear of further pain.

I want to know if you can sit with pain
mine or your own
without moving to hide it
or fade it
or fix it.

I want to know if you can be with joy
mine or your own
if you can dance with wildness
and let the ecstasy fill you to the tips of your
fingers and toes
without cautioning us to
be careful
be realistic
to remember the limitations of being human.

It doesn't interest me if the story you are telling me
is true.
I want to know if you can
disappoint another
to be true to yourself.
If you can bear the accusation of betrayal
and not betray your own soul.
If you can be faithless
and therefore trustworthy.

I want to know if you can see Beauty
even when it is not pretty
every day.
And if you can source your own life
from its presence.

I want to know if you can live with failure
yours and mine
and still stand on the edge of the lake
and shout to the silver of the full moon,
"Yes."

It doesn't interest me
to know where you live or how much money you have.
I want to know if you can get up
after a night of grief and despair
weary and bruised to the bone
and do what needs to be done
to feed the children.

It doesn't interest me who you know
or how you came to be here.
I want to know if you will stand
in the center of the fire
with me
and not shrink back.

It doesn't interest me where or what or with whom
you have studied.
I want to know what sustains you
from the inside
when all else falls away.

I want to know if you can be alone
with yourself
and if you truly like the company you keep
in the empty moments.

- Oriah Mountain Dreamer
_______________________________________________
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Little Summer Poem Touching the Subject of Faith

Every summer
I listen and look
under the sun's brass and even
into the moonlight, but I can't hear

anything, I can't see anything --
not the pale roots digging down, nor the green stalks muscling up,
nor the leaves
deepening their damp pleats,

nor the tassels making,
nor the shucks, nor the cobs.
And still,
every day,

the leafy fields
grow taller and thicker --
green gowns lofting up in the night,
showered with silk.

And so, every summer,
I fail as a witness, seeing nothing --
I am deaf too
to the tick of the leaves,

the tapping of downwardness from the banyan feet --
all of it
happening
beyond any seeable proof, or hearable hum.

And, therefore, let the immeasurable come.
Let the unknowable touch the buckle of my spine.
Let the wind turn in the trees,
and the mystery hidden in the dirt

swing through the air.
How could I look at anything in this world
and tremble, and grip my hands over my heart?
What should I fear?

One morning
in the leafy green ocean
the honeycomb of the corn's beautiful body
is sure to be there.

~ Mary Oliver ~

(West Wind)

The following petition arrived in my mail today.  Because the subject is (for me and others like me) of such supreme importance, I am reprinting it here, although I could not discover how to relay the signature  line itself.  The threatened destruction of one of our great spiritual and cultural treasures is extremely disturbing.  Many of us consider Tibet our "spiritual home," even though we have not visited there nor are we likely to in this lifetime.
The petition originated from Change.org  I went to their website to try to locate this petition there, but did not find it listed.  However, if you google "destruction of Lhasa," it will take you to the petition on Change.org

Petitioning Kishore Rao
Help stop the destruction of my home, Lhasa, Tibet

Petition by
Ngawang Sangdrol
Boston, United States


My name is Ngawang Sangdrol and I am a Tibetan born in Lhasa, the capital city of Tibet. Today I live in exile, unable to return to my beloved homeland as a free person. I share my story with you now as my home, Lhasa, is under severe threat.

This magnificent city has stood on the top of the world for 1,500 years.  It stands not only as the physical capital but also as the spiritual capital for Tibetan Buddhists.  The old city of Lhasa has been the site of many freedom protests and is a symbol of the Tibetan resilience against China’s occupation. When I was 13 years old, I joined a peaceful protest in Lhasa calling for the long life of His Holiness the Dalai Lama and for Tibetan independence. As a result, I served 11-years in prison for my political actions.

But right now, I am afraid this sacred city faces destruction, environmental risks, and forced evictions to make way for a shopping mall and parking garage.

Please help me defend my home. We must not let Lhasa, a city of immense cultural and historical importance, be destroyed.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee can help prevent China's wilful destruction of the old city of Lhasa by designating the site as “World Heritage in Danger”.  Lhasa’s status as a World Heritage Site is a huge source of pride for China. If Lhasa is listed as being in danger, China must either stop the construction or face losing a World Heritage Site, which would be a major embarrassment.

Don’t let the beauty and historic significance of Lhasa be destroyed!

To:
Kishore Rao, Director, UNESCO World Heritage Centre
cc'd Regina Durighello, Director, World Heritage Programme ICOMOS
Right now, the oldest parts of Tibet's capital Lhasa, a city that has stood on top of the world for thousands of years, are under threat of being destroyed irreplacebly. The extent and impact of China's "modernisation" of this historic city has been brought to world attention in a report that clearly shows evidence of wide scale demolition in the heart of the city, to make way for 'Shopping Malls'...
Read More
Recent signatures

George King PITTSBORO, NC
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dao huynh CYPRESS, CA
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News

Reached 50,000 signatures
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Supporters

Reasons for signingMost Popular Latest
Maria Gabriella Camboni MILAN, ITALY about 1 month ago    Liked 30
Lhasa is a cultural treasure that should be protected and cherished

Maria L. Yau AMERSFOORT, NETHERLANDS about 1 month ago    Liked 27
This petition is important to me, because it hurts me to see that China CCP destroy the historic temple of Tibet.

This must be stopped! Please sign the petition!

Sam Price VANCOUVER, CANADA about 1 month ago    Liked 27
Enough with China's evil colonial bullshit!!!

N Leleulya UTRECHT, NETHERLANDS about 1 month ago    Liked 22
Stop the Cultural Genocide, Save Tibet. Stop the CCP

Manuel Moreira BELLAS, PORTUGAL about 1 month ago    Liked 19
Free Tibet

(picture from change.org website)

Looking

We go on our wanderings,
looking here,
seeking there,
turning over this leaf
or stone,
scrutinizing the clouds
for a message,
sometimes just stopping
and listening carefully.
Don’t you ever get tired
of this endless searching,
this fruitless pursuit of a sign?
Don’t you sometimes long
for a final revelation,
angels descending on
a cloud,
the ultimate “aha!”
What would you do
if you made a sudden discovery,
the light surrounding you
like a revelation,
heavenly choirs
singing hosanna?
Would you be happier then?
Could you cope
with this amazed wildness
touching your cells alive,
reminding you
that you, too, are stardust,
pulsation in the eternal flow.

Dorothy Walters
from "The Ley Lines of the Soul"

(picture from Margaret Dolinsky)

At the time of separation, Love creates imaginary forms
When Union arrives, the Formless One appears,
Saying "I am the Origin of the origin of sobriety and wine;
Beauty in all its forms is a reflection of Me.
Now, this moment, I withdraw all veils to reveal
Beauty's final splendor, without any intermediary.
For so long now you have been busy with My reflection ˆ
You have won the power now to gaze at My Essence alone."

- Jalal-ud-Din Rumi
(Translated by Andrew Harvey from A Year of Rumi)

Once many years ago, I heard a voice inside announcing "The purpose of poetry is to beget more poems."  Recently I published the followed poem which was inspired by Rumi's poem on the same theme.  Then I received a poem from Jan Elvee, still on the same topic.  And, following that, is a poem by Patti Tronolone, again on the same theme.  So, indeed, poetry begets  poetry.  It is most gratifying to find spiritual poets emerging at this time, inspiring one another to let expressions of love come forth in poetic form.

Astounding Love

From beyond the intellect, astounding Love arrives
Dragging its robes, a cup of wine in its hand.
                                               Rumi (tr. Andrew Harvey)

Who has the strength to drink from this cup?
Who will kneel down, touch this robe,
bow before this unnamed one
who keeps arriving,
leaving soft traces
again and again?

Dorothy Walters,
June 5, 2013

Love drags its robes,
an exquisite detail,
its arm outstretched,
offering me a cup of wine.
I walk towards him,
doubtful and hopeful.
Longing to kneel,
to drink, to be
embraced.

Jan Elvee
June 8, 2013


THE FIERY DEEP



Light upon light

Flares

Into the fiery deep.



What hidden majesty

Breaches the wall

And sets down the quivering cup?



Deep in the bounty  of a forgotten imprint

I am met in the shade of my own longing

Where the ageless one takes hold.



Some inextinguishable force

Catches me in the balance

My heart is played for all it’s worth.



Light upon light

Flares

Into the fiery deep.

Patti Tronolone

(Photo is titled "eternal love by imagespider")

Free internet event tomorrow
Check it out at: info@evolutionaryleaders.net   (from the Shift Networkk)

Saturday, June 8, 2013
10am US Pacific / 1pm US Eastern / 6pm GMT
Are you ready for a New Era – one in which we manifest our highest potential and create a peaceful, sustainable, healthy, and prosperous world?

At the end of 2012, people around the world marked and celebrated the beginning of this new era. Many have reported a subtle but profound shift in ourselves as a result – a deepened consciousness and greater openness to the evolutionary impulse working through us.


Our conscious evolution is now accelerating and the structures of society are beginning to shift, slowly but surely. However, this is not an instant or overnight process: we need to build the momentum and sustain the changes through long-term collaboration. The ship of humanity turns slowly and it takes focused effort over time.

We are now Generation One – the first humans to enter into this new era consciously. What will we create together?

During this online event with Barbara Marx Hubbard, the visionary voice of the Birth 2012 movement, and the founder of The Shift Network Stephen Dinan, we’ll begin to activate the inner codes for this new era together.

We’ll look at what is emergent in ourselves and our world and how can we build new possibilities for synergy and co-creation. We’ll explore how the years ahead can be the time when the great Shift begins to show up in society in a more profound way.

It’s clear that we’re moving into a new phase of human evolution, IF we chose to make that a reality.

So join us to explore the frontiers of global and personal evolution with two leaders from the frontlines and learn how you can be part of the movement that just may change the world.

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Barbara Marx Hubbard is co-founder and chairperson of the Foundation for Conscious Evolution. An evolutionary educator, speaker and social innovator, she is the author of six books communicating the new worldview of conscious evolution, including the bestselling Birth 2012 and Beyond.

In 1945, when she was 15 years old, the first atomic bombs were dropped on Japan. This terrible act prompted Barbara to ask the fundamental question: “What is the meaning of our new power that can be used for the good? And “What are positive images of the future equal to these new powers?” This defining moment propelled her on her life’s quest to find answers to these questions. The insights she has gained has led to her definitive message of hope that “our crisis is a birth” of a more universal human and universal humanity.

As a co-founder of The Evolutionary Leaders Council she is co-chairing with Andrew Cohen a global dialogue on The Meaning of Conscious Evolution. Barbara is also the subject of a recent biography by Neale Donald Walsch entitled: The Mother of Invention: The Legacy of Barbara Marx Hubbard and the Future of You.


Stephen Dinan is the founder and CEO of The Shift Network and a member of the prestigious Evolutionary Leadership Council. As the former Director of Membership and Marketing at the Institute of Noetic Sciences, he was the driving force behind the Shift in Action program, which grew to 10,000 paying members, and the One Minute Shift video series, which was seen by more than one million. He is also the author of Radical Spirit (New World Library), and a forthcoming book Sacred America. Stephen directed and helped to create the Esalen Institute’s Center for Theory & Research, a think tank for leading scholars, researchers, and teachers to explore human potential frontiers.

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The Secret Gift

How long will it take us to realize
that suffering
is the bedmate of joy?

That each clear moment
on the mountain
is followed
by a dark passage
in the forest below?

Yesterday I stood
by the shore
as a messenger
brought gifts
of fruit and wine.

I took some of each
and did not ask
the giver
or why the gift

Dorothy Walters
June 4, 2013.

Smoke from the Flame

Dear one,
it is all right
if you cried last night.

Tears make of us
a readiness to meet
the nameless one.
They tell us
that we are malleable,
clay in the mold,
paint softened
to leave the brush.

Smoke from the candle flame
makes visions
more easily
perceived.

Dorothy Walters
June 4, 2013

Astounding Love

From beyond the intellect, astounding Love arrives
Dragging its robes, a cup of wine in its hand.
                                               Rumi (tr. Andrew Harvey)

Who has the strength to drink from this cup?
Who will kneel down, touch this robe,
bow before this unnamed one
who keeps arriving,
leaving soft traces
again and again?

Dorothy Walters,
June 5, 2013

 The Traceless

Like cream concealed in the heart of milk,
No-place keeps seeping into place.
Like intellect hidden in this sack of blood,
The Traceless keeps infiltrating traces.
From beyond the intellect, astounding Love arrives
Dragging its robes, a cup of wine in its hand.
And from beyond Love, that Indescribable One
Who can only be called "That" keeps coming and coming.

- Jalal-ud-Din Rumi
(Translated by Andrew Harvey from A Year of Rumi)

The following is taken (originally) from SurvivingAntidepressants.org  It contains much valuable information on the relationship of these phenomena, as well as information on the nature of Kundalini in general.
Fortunately, most of us do not undergo the entire spectrum of negative symptoms.  Each follows her own syndrome with symptoms ranging from mild to intense.  The author mentions "euphoric" only in passing although for some of us this is the key manifestation. (See Bernini's famous statue of St. Teresa of Avila,, which shows her in the state of ecstatic rapture.)  When ecstasy occurs, the subject may feel that it is a divine blessing, a sign of sacred connection with Source. And, oddly, sometimes extreme ecstasy is extremely difficult to cope with, just as is pain.
Certainly, all three mentioned states can lead to deep inner transformation.



Psychiatric drug withdrawal, kundalini and shamanic initiatory illness
by Sheila Joshi

Shaking, vibration, altered states of consciousness ranging from comatose to euphoric, extremely long periods of insomnia or hypersomnia, inability to tolerate eating, food cravings, headaches, nausea and vomiting, nightmares, suicidality, pain, heart palpitations, fear of going crazy, feeling tormented, terror, being bed-ridden, agitation, weakness, cognitive confusion, seizures, muscular rigidity, tingling, impaired vision, hearing unusual sounds, seeing lights, other hallucinations or visions, obsessive or impulsive behavior, rages, crying jags, severe depression, vertigo, seeming drunk without taking any substance, exhaustion, chills, heat, sweating, tendency to withdrawal and agoraphobia.
What am I describing?
a) psych med withdrawal
b ) Kundalini awakening
c) shamanic initiatory illness
d) all of the above
The correct answer is d) all of the above!
Kundalini awakening and shamanic initiatory illness are both naturally occurring phenomena that were first observed and described many millenia ago. And they continue to be observed — in more and more cultures.
Kundalini is an ancient Indian model of neuro-psycho-spiritual evolutionary potential in humans. The ancient Indians really mapped this phenomenon, kind of the way the ancient Chinese mapped the chi health system. However, this phenomenon has been described in many different spiritual and philosohical traditions throughout history, including Christianity.
Shamanic initiatory illness is a phenomenon with roots even further back in the mists of time, when humans drew their inspiration directly from nature (celestial bodies, elements, animals, plants) and ancestors, before the advent of gods. Again, this phenomenon has been described in isolated, indigenous cultures around the globe, suggesting that it is a universal human potential.
The syndrome is unpredictable in how it is precipitated, but toxic exposure is one of the possible factors. It often lasts for years. The symptom set includes significant mental and physical symptoms, and doesn’t fit into any of the culture’s recognizable illnesses. The symptoms are intractable — that culture has no adequate treatment. The syndrome remits spontaneously and it is impossible to predict when it will happen. The syndrome does end.
What am I describing?
a) psych med withdrawal
b ) Kundalini awakening
c) shamanic initiatory illness
d) all of the above
The correct answer is, again, d) all of the above!
Kundalini is a neuro-psycho-spiritual developmental potential that traditionally resides latent at the base of the spine until it is activated. It can be activated on purpose by spiritual practice, or by accident through physical or psychological trauma. Once it is activated, it involves a deep cleanse or purge of the body, psyche, and spirit. Psycho-physiological traumas from throughout the lifespan are repaired. The grueling symptoms listed above are merely the side effects of this repair process.
The final result is a rewired neuro-endocrinological system. The person who goes through the process and comes out the other side takes a quantum leap in health, happiness, peace, wisdom, sense of mission, and, potentially, “extended human capacities,” or what we call psychic abilities. It’s like being born again into a second life without actually dying in between. And it’s supposed to result in a literally more evolved human being.
A shamanic initiatory illness is a transformative ordeal that either comes on unexpectedly with no known precipitating event or can be activated on purpose by spiritual practice. It shows up as an odd amalgam of mental and physical symptoms, as mentioned above; is typically very debilitating; and takes the individual to very odd and dark mental and physical places. Interestingly, the illness seems to create a field that affects family and friends around the sufferer, who sometimes go through their own tough times in parallel.
Most initiations seem to be involuntary and un-asked-for, and, consequently, resisted. Eventually, the resistance in broken down, and the sufferer agrees to be a shaman. Symptoms can remit quite dramatically once the initiate starts to “shamanize” in some way, such as performing healings (using herbal knowledge, psychic healing, or a combination) or divination, involving knowledge and abilities s/he did not have before the illness. Shamans are considered to be more advanced in their development or more evolved than people who have not gone through the initiation.
So, what does this have to do with us?!
Exposure to toxic 21st century psych meds, removal of the toxin, and recovery from the consequent neuro-endocrinological damage may be just the latest way that humans are being triggered into a transformative experience that re-wires them. It might be said that the transformation leads people back into who they were supposed to be before the oppressive influences of family and society pushed them off track. Or it might be said that the transformation leads people into what the collective unconscious or planet *needs* them to be right now for the commonwealth.
In the last several years of observing people recover from these meds, I have noticed that as people recover they often report significant changes in how they view the world, the purpose of their lives, what’s most important, etc. Many people become more interested in spiritual matters. Others become politically aware in a new way. Or environmentally aware. Some people become more intuitive or psychic. Almost everyone gets their eyes opened in some way, and becomes more of a critical thinker when it comes to accepting the word of the authorities.
So, horrendous as this experience is, it’s interesting to look at it as a transformative experience that may serve a broader purpose than we might have imagined and that fits into a very ancient framework about how rapid spurts of evolution may happen for individuals, societies, and civilization as a whole.